Feb 11, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski during the NFL Alumni Legends Party Presented by USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures at Avalon Hollywood. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Julian Edelman shares tribute to Rob Gronkowski after retirement news

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Alex Evans | Last updated 6/21/22

Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL Tuesday, and former teammate Julian Edelman shared a creative tribute to Gronk via Instagram.

Edelman and Gronk played nine seasons together with the New England Patriots. Edelman shared a slideshow on Instagram of four photos, the first one being a Calvin and Hobbs-style picture.

In the photo, cartoon versions of Edelman and Gronk are seated in a moving wagon with Edelman steering and Gronk seated behind him. Edelman also posted two real-life photos of him and Gronk. The last image was a Calvin and Hobbs cartoon with Hobbs saying, “If good things lasted forever, would we appreciate how precious they are?”

“There will only ever be one Gronk,” Edelman wrote as a caption. “Love you bro. #FoxboroForever”

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A post shared by Julian Edelman (@edelman11)

There is a chance Gronk could come out of retirement. Gronk’s agent made a prediction about a possible return for Gronk if Brady calls this season. Similarly, Edelman did not close the door on a possible NFL return as recently as mid-June.

Edelman and Gronk won three Super Bowls together in New England, and were two of Tom Brady’s favorite targets. In 11 seasons with the Patriots, Edelman caught 620 passes for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns. Gronk had 521 catches for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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